[CanadianMaestro]

  The BHA-1? Because I preferred the Ember. I'm on my second Ember which is the mkII (sold my first Ember to put money towards the BHA-1) and though the BHA-1 is an amazing amp and one of the most dead silent amps I have had the pleasure to use but I found I missed the Ember so I bought the Ember mkII and ran it along side the BHA-1. After a couple of months I realized the Ember was the more enjoyable amp for me so I sold the BHA-1 because I didn't see the point of having it just sit there.
 
Also I have to admit that I'd not buy another BHA-1 again.

I toyed with getting Ember. Got Polaris instead. I just didn't know where to begin with tube rollin', and didn't want the added expenses of tubes down the road. No regrets.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  Also I have to admit that I'd not buy another BHA-1 again.

It's certainly not for every taste. Very honest in its delivery of the goods.

 

[jodgey4]

SE =/= balanced on the BHA-1. The SE is a summed output from the balanced section, which usually alters the signal. If I'm mistaken, please use facts, not anecdotes and mythology. Balanced and SE are merely different, not in a hierarchy.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

I humbly stand corrected.

 

[Amish]

 
I toyed with getting Ember. Got Polaris instead. I just didn't know where to begin with tube rollin', and didn't want the added expenses of tubes down the road. No regrets.

Hey I own the Polaris as well. I find it to sound quite a lot like the Ember (other than being able to swap tubes of course) and I think the Polaris is another great amp for hardly no coin.
 
I really need to bring my polaris and a dac to work for my desk.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  Hey I own the Polaris as well. I find it to sound quite a lot like the Ember (other than being able to swap tubes of course) and I think the Polaris is another great amp for hardly no coin.
 
I really need to bring my polaris and a dac to work for my desk.

+1 on that.
 
It's not "work" then if you're listening to musik....

 

 

[jodgey4]

  I humbly stand corrected.

Sorry if I was short with y'all, lots of caffeine, no food, high stress kinda day. . It's a complicated subject with lots of nuance.
 
I really wanna try the Ember tbh, I think a hybrid would be fun to hear, and should be versatile for my Q701's as well.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

I thought Texans were a laid back bunch? 

 

[jodgey4]

  I thought Texans were a laid back bunch? 

We're laid back until you mess with Texas!

 
My family is from California, so that doesn't explain it either!

 

[MRC001]

SE =/= balanced on the BHA-1. The SE is a summed output from the balanced section, which usually alters the signal.

One simple way to convert balanced to SE is to short the balanced - to unbalanced ground, wire the balanced + to unbalanced +, and don't connect the balanced shield ground to anything on the unbalanced side. This cuts the signal voltage in half, 6 dB quieter, which means if the noise level remains the same, the S/N ratio got worse by the same 6 dB. But theoretically, other than a noise floor 6 dB higher, it doesn't introduce any distortion. If the noise floor was low enough to begin with, it's subjectively transparent.
 
In that sense, SE is not necessarily inferior to balanced in practice. Balanced done right is theoretically superior, but SE can be just as good for all practical purposes. For an extreme example, my phono head amp has 60 dB of gain, all cabling unbalanced, yet the noise level is incredibly low. It's properly grounded and cable runs are short.

 

[jodgey4]

  One simple way to convert balanced to SE is to short the balanced - to unbalanced ground, wire the balanced + to unbalanced +, and don't connect the balanced shield ground to anything on the unbalanced side. This cuts the signal voltage in half, 6 dB quieter, which means if the noise level remains the same, the S/N ratio got worse by the same 6 dB. But theoretically, other than a noise floor 6 dB higher, it doesn't introduce any distortion. If the noise floor was low enough to begin with, it's subjectively transparent.
 
In that sense, SE is not necessarily inferior to balanced in practice.

True about grounding. I've just always heard that manufacturers do it differently, couldn't tell ya why. If you have any info on the BHA-1 that contradicts what I've asserted, let me know so we can set the record straight. I just find it very unlikely that going to balanced alone produces all the tales of marvel and awe.

 

[MRC001]

I just find it very unlikely that going to balanced alone produces all the tales of marvel and awe.

I share your skepticism.
 
Balanced was designed for pro situations, like mics with very low level signals and high output impedance traveling along a 50' cord. That's a worst case scenario begging for hum/noise which balanced eliminates or at least reduces.
 
In most home audio situations, it makes no practical difference. If single ended doesn't sound right, better to find and fix the underlying problem, than use balanced mode to hide it.
 
It's nice to have but not a must-have. If your gear supports balanced mode, use it and smile. But if it doesn't don't worry, you're not missing anything.

 

[BassDigger]

...
Balanced was designed for pro situations,...
 
...It's nice to have but not a must-have. If your gear supports balanced mode, use it and smile. But if it doesn't don't worry, you're not missing anything.

 
+1
 
I think that's a good mantra for any of us scratching our head and trying to decide on an amp, especially for the LCD2.
 
Balanced is just another rabbit hole; you could get lost for years. But there's just too little agreement on the merits and de-merits. There're enough, more important rabbits holes, that should be investigated first.

 

[marcan]

It is the push/pull of the BHA-1 that makes the balanced output really shine on the LCD.

 

[jodgey4]

It is the push/pull of the BHA-1 that makes the balanced output really shine on the LCD.

If I'm not mistaken, push/pull implies balanced by default. So what you're saying is the balanced output makes the balanced output shine.